Despite having the strongest bid and putting together the best presentation, England (9/1 to win Euro 2012) have lost out to Russia in the bid to host the 2018 World Cup – and the strength of the Premier League could be the reason why we missed out!

For the size of the country, England has the best stadia and infrastructure to host such a major event but FIFA, in their wisdom, looked elsewhere.

The world governing body suggest they want the hosts to leave a legacy and with Russia (1/3 to win Euro 2012 Qualifying Group B) having to build a dozen new stadiums and transport links, they got the nod.

Sections of the media suggest Chelsea (11/8f to win 2010-11 Premier League) owner Roman Abramovich had a big part to play in the Russian success and his reception at Premier League grounds may now be rather frosty!

England must now fear that they will never again host the world’s biggest football event – can we now even be bothered to bid for it when it’s Europe’s turn again in, probably, 2034?

The frustration is only increased by the comments of Sepp Blatter, who described the presentation as “outstanding” and described England as the “football motherland”.

The sceptics have already questioned whether money talks and the decision to give Qatar the 2022 tournament will only heighten their beliefs.

As for England, we must console ourselves with the fact that we will host the Olympics in two years and there’s also the Champions League final (England 11/8 Winning Nation) at Wembley next May.

We should also stand proud and say we have the best and most exciting league in the world, with the biggest crowds and the most passionate fans – it still hurts though!

Bet on the World Cup and get £200. Click here to visit Bet365 and claim your free money.